With a modern twist

The Lewis Community Spouses Club (LCSC) Cooking Sub-Club kicked off the year with some great French cooking. Chef Jan Parker and Angie Melnyk head the club this year. The two will rotate each month. Parker will focus on meals and cooking techniques while Melnyk will share her pastry chef skills. The choice for the month will be seasonal.

"Every season of the LCSC Cooking Club brings familiar and new faces. I'm excited to reunite with everyone and have fun in the kitchen. We will be focusing on ways to add professional touches to food and work in an efficient manner," said Parker.

"I'm excited to work with Jan to bring a baking focus every other month to the LCSC Cooking Club this year. I'm looking forward to getting our members comfortable with common baking skills," said Melnyk.

For the first event, Chef Parker focused on the great ingredients you find in the fall. The three-hour class was completed in a workshop format. She taught tips on presentation and how to coax full flavor from the ingredients. After a brief demonstration, the class worked together to create a flavorful, fall lunch. The menu included Boeuf Bourguignon a la Julia Child. Parker modernized this recipe by cooking in an Instapot and utilizing a Washington state wine. Also included in the meal, potato puree, squash soup served in a whole mini squash, and Tarte Tatin, an inverted Apple Tart served with a Crème Anglaise.

Maria Heslin is a returning member from last year. She joined to hone her cooking skills. "I wanted to learn the right way to do things as well as learn new things like how to poach an egg. I got kind of stuck in a rut with the same go-to meals and this will give me more options," said Heslin. She was happy to learn that they were going to be making a Julia Child recipe. "I used to watch Julia Child on TV with my mother and it is a fond memory for me."

Parker is a graduate of the Culinary School at the Art Institute of Seattle and as a military brat and spouse of a retired soldier, her cooking is inspired by her Filipino roots and the many cultures and countries she experienced as a military nomad. Melnyk is self-trained in the pastry arts. Her delectable treats are well loved by all her LCSC friends. Both look forward to sharing their love of cooking this year with members of the LCSC Cooking Club.

The Cooking Club is a sub-club of the LCSC. You must be a paid member of the LCSC to join the group, which meets once a month. For more information, visit: lewiscommunityspousesclub.org.